Orthopedic appliance



July 2, 1929. .1.J. INTERLAND ORTHOPEDIC APPLIANCE Filed Fe'b. 13, 1929 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented July 2, 1929.

UNTED STATES JOSEPH J. INTERLAND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ORTHOPDIC APPLIANCE.

Application filed February 13, 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for supporting and correcting malformations of the human foot, such as fallen arches, at Jreet and the like, caused by displacement of the bones and relaxation ot the ligaments and by lack of coordination ot muscular mechanical functions.

Such conditions are perhaps the most common ailment afiiicting mankind and include` defects not only of the bones of the foot, but the mechanical disorganization of the muscles, believed to lead to and become the cause of many organic maladies.

These conditions have been the subject of many attempts at alleviation and cure, in the nature of supports and braces, ofttimes barbarous and painful to wear and inefective generally in the production of desired results.

The unnatural condition existing in weak or flat feet, fallen arches and like disorders docs not take place instantly, but slowly and gradually during a considerable period of time; therefore it cannot be expected to restore such parts to their normal condition by rigid non-yielding and non-adjustable supports in an instantaneous manner.

Heretoiore, in the treat-ment of these conditions it has been the custom of podiatrists and orthopedic experts to take foot casts and to make plaster supports at each treatment, each time making a new plaster support a little higher than the previous one in order lo finally build up the arch and adjust the other parts of the foot to the correct position and condition. This procedure necessitated the consumption ot' much time and patience and the wearing' in thc shoes ol' (he patient of a rigid non-yielding and relatively heavy plaster support, oittiines causing; great inconvenience and pain.

HavingT these matters in mind it is one of the objects of the invention to provide a plate of spring metal or other` resilient material having a contour suited to support and retain certain parts of the foot when disposed in a common shoe, in position of adjustment and also suited to be used with bandagings on the foot, in the orthopedic- Serial No. 339,515.

treatment for correction of Weak and Hat feet- A further feature is in the provision of means whereby portions of the plate may be elevated and adjusted relatively to the remaningr portions, the de ree of elevation and lateral movement being adjustable in a convenient and positive manner.

Another purpose is to produce a device that can be placed and maintained in an ordmary shoe without shifting` its position but which can be transferred from one shoe to another at will.

These several objects are attained by the novel design, construction and combination of few and inexpensive parts as hereinafter described and shown in the accompanyingY drawing, forming a material part of this disclosure; and in which:

Fig. 1, is a plan View of an embodiment of the device as ready for insertion into a shoe.

Fig. 2 is sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is a fragmentary sectional View taken approximately on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, illustrating adjusting means used.

In Figure 2 of the drawing, parts oi a conventional type of shoe are shown, the same consisting of a heel 5. outer sole 6, inner sole 7, counter 8 and side of the shoe at the instep 9.

The coordinator consists of a sheet or plate of resilient material having a sinuous profile formed to present a heel portion 10, its outline being shaped in conformity with the human foot, and provided with a raised flange 11 extending around its rear and side portions.

These plaies will be made respectively right and left, the latter being shown in Fig. 1.

Part of the material is removed, as at 12 thus forming an arm 13, adapted to be drawn in laterally toward the body of the plate.

The main portion of the heel blends into an instep element 14, rendered relatively resilientby a deep and narrow notch 15 between it and the heel, a similar notch Cil 1.6 reaching into the instep element 14- at the junction of the forward portion 17 at the ball of the foot.

Disposed over the spring plate is an inner sole secured by rivets 18, the inner sole being shaped in conformity with the resilient plate and having a raised marginal portion at the heel. i

Formed through the inner sole and spring plate, in the portion 1-7 are two narrow rectangular openings 19, .disposed adjacent the edges of the elements and adapted to receive the ends of a metal strap 2O having a series of raised prongs 21 near its ends to engage the inner. edges of the opening 19.

'This Strap acts as a .tension member in drawing the side elements of the member 17 towards each other, causing the member to buckle and present a raised hump 22 at the center, the height of which is adjustable by the position of the strap prongs in an ol vious manner.

Also in the central member 14 are two spaced openings 2 3 disposed at an angle with the central plane of the shoe and adapted to receiye'a' ystrap ,24 provided with raised prongs 25 to engage the inner edges of the opening 23 whereby a hump 26 is formed midway in the member lit.

The rearwardly extending end of the strap 24; is continued to reach under the member 13, bridging the gap 12 and having an uptnrned endi2 by which it is anchored to the raised portions 1l Qf the heel member. The arm 13 can thus be drawn laterally to draw the heel bone into rthe proper position of adjustment and locked in such position by engagement of the strap 24.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the co-ordinator "plat-e may be adjusted to co-ordinate andsupport the arch of the foot to conform with the results desired and that due to the adjustments the feot may be held in a position of adduction.

All. adjustments are to ,be made gradually, as the contraction of'ligaments and recoordina-tion of muscular function proceed, until the correct emplacement of the arch has been attained.

In addition the device is adaptable to correct and .SUPPOYt in proper position all the joints of the'foet in their normal articulation, completely co--ordinating the muscles and joints, Whit@ allowing for the @OntractiQn of the liga-ments The device is adapted to retain the os calcis in a fixed position, suppprt the longitudinal arch and the external pillar .of the anterior metatarsa arch by fxingthe position 0f the fourth an fifth metatarsal bones.

The device is adapted to do away with or make it unnecessary to take foot-cast for building any arch-support because it is adjustahle according tot e height, width and posture of the nrmal foot, bringing pressure and support. with the necessary flexibility to make walking, standing and exercising comfortable with the necessary needed fixed rigidity to gradually correct and cure the weak or flat foot condition.

Although the foregoing is descriptive of the preferred embodiment of the invention,y

it will be apparent that minor changes may be made in the construction, without the exercise of invention or conflicting with the scope of the claims hereto appended.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An orthopedic co-ordinator comprising a resilient plate consisting of semi-detached sections disposed respectively at the heel, instep and forward part of the foot, and means to buckle certain of said sections to produce humps.

2. An orthopedic co-ordinator comprising a. resilient plate consisting of semi-detached sections disposed respectively at the heel, instep and forward part .of the foot, a raised marginal flange at the heel section to fit the interior of a shoe, and means for adjustably raising the central portions of the remaining sections independently.

3. An orthopedic co-ordinator comprising a resilientl plate consisting of semiedetached sections disposed respectively at the heel, instep and forward part of the foot, said heel section presenting an edgewise resilient arm to engage the heel of a foot, a raised flange at the margin of said heel section, and independently adjustable means for flexing the arm toward the instep portion and for flexing the remaining sections to raise the central portions thereof.

4. Anv orthopedic co-ordinator comprising a resilient plate having a sinuons profile presenting partially separated sections at the heel, instep and forward part of Ithe foot, means combined with the heel section to grip the heel of a foot, the remaining sections having slots adjacent their outer edges, metal straps. to pass through the slots, and prongs on said straps to engage the inner edges of the slots whereby to hold the sections in a sprung condition to present upstanding humps and to hold the heel section in adjusted relation to the instep section.

5. An orthopedic co-ordinator comprising a resilient plate having a sinuous profile presenting partially separated sections at the heel, instep and forward part of the foot, a non-metallic' cover on said plate t-o extend coincident therewith, said cover and plate having opposed slots adjacent the edges of certain of said sections, a metal strap having it-s ends passed through the slots, and means on said straps to adjustably engage the edges of the openings .stressing the plate to form protuberances therein.

6. An orthopedic co-ordinator comprising a resilient plate having a sinuous profile presenting partially separated sections at the heel, instep and forward part of the foot, means combined with the heel section to grip the heel of a foot, said means including :1. resilient arm and raised flange, adjustu! ble means for producing a central protuberance on the forward and central sections, Said means including,r two metal straps engageable in the plate, and an extension on 10 the strap at the central section having an anchorage on the ange of said heel section.

Signed at New York, in the county and State of New York, this 23rd day of Janu- 15 ary, 1929.

JOSEPH J. INTERLAND. 

